The Boston Celtics could take a swing at another floor-spacing seven-footer in the 2025 NBA Draft, according to J. Kyle Mann of The Ringer.
In his latest mock draft, Mann has the Celtics taking Stanford center Maxime Raynaud at pick 28. Here is what Mann had to say about the Frenchman’s potential fit in Boston:
“The Celtics have recently had some success developing frontcourt players — Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, Neemias Queta — and Raynaud could be the next one. If he were a big who needed to learn to play through defenders’ chests and assert himself in the fray, I’d worry about him finding his way in the more physical NBA. But Raynaud was highly active both inside and outside the arc for Stanford this past season. If Boston found a way to sculpt a shot chart that smartly balances his ability to body a defender near the rim and pop out for a 3, Raynaud could become a contributor.”
With 39-year-old center Al Horford set to be a free agent and center Kristaps Porzingis – whose $30.7 million salary next season has him at the forefront of trade rumors – the Celtics’ frontcourt depth could be alarmingly thin. Raynaud could be the perfect fit as a rotational big man for the Celtics.
The main concern with Raynaud is his age. He is 22 years old, which is older than most rookies. However, this Celtics front office has shown no hesitation with taking on older prospects, taking 24-year-old forwards Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson in the 2024 Draft.
The Celtics will likely need to be savvy with finding inexpensive contributors due to their salary cap situation. Drafting a ready-to-play athlete at a position of need would fit that criterion.
